Boiler washing blow-off connection



Aug. 2, 1932. B. P. PHELPS BOILER WASHING BLOW-OFF CONNECTION Filed Feb. 12, 1951 W sse I "f 0 Patented Aug. 2, 1932 QIBARTON' nrHELPs, or TOIEEKA /KANSAS BOILER WASHING BLOW-OFF comvncrron Application filed February 12, 1931.. Serial No. 515,259,

. My invention relatesto a blow-oil connection for use. in boiler washing" plants and particularly a connection for use'in washing plants where a plurality of boilers, such as 5 locomotive boilers, are to be blown oil at the same time. I My invention has for its object the provi sion of a connection, intermediate of the respective boilers and the common or main- 10 blow-oil line, whereby the pressure energy of the blown off Water and steam is converted into kinetic or velocity energy, thereby increasing flow through the main line and consequently eliminating back pressure being created in the main line. v

lVith boiler washing plants or systems as heretofore constructed, the simultaneous blowing down or blowing oil of two ormore locomotive boilers was inefficiently done where the locomotive boilers were under different degrees of pressure.

The blowingofi operation of a plurality of boilers: therefore resulted in loss of time and the consequent loss of the locomotives for service.

The objects and advantages of my inven tion will be understood and readily apparent from the detailed description of the accompanying drawing, wherein I Figure 1 is amore or less schematic view in elevation of the main part of a boiler washing system and a plurality of locomotives positioned and connected thereto, with the washout and fill tanks partly broken away and in section; the system being provided with my improved. connections. I

Figure 2 is a detail view, partly in section, showing my improved connection with the blow-oft main or line ofwhich only a portion isshown.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of portions of the blow-off lines showing the usual T- coupling heretofore employed.

With boiler washing systems as heretofore constructed and particularly as employed for blowing off, washing and refilling locomotive boilers, considerable difficulty was encoun- V tered in carrying out, these operations at the same time with a number of locomotives.

That-is to say, the blowing off of two or more "tion indicated at 17, 17.

operation; while locomotive B isbeing filled locomotive boilers under difierent degrees of Y pressure was impossible until thepre'ssure in the respective boilers had become substantially equal. Consequently considerable loss of time in service of the locomotives resulted. This difiiculty was due to the'type'of connections between the respective droplines and the common blow-off main or line, which re sulted in a back pressure being set upin the blow-off main by the steam and water no blown off from the locomotive having't'he" greatest degree of pressure. i Inorder to properly" exemplify my invens tion, I have shown it in connection with a well known type of boiler washing system as employed by railroad systems for blowing down, washing and refilling locomotive boilers; a number of locomotives being shown in elevation at A, B, C and D and all connected up with the system.

, .10 The locomotive indicated at A is'connected by means of drop line 10 withthe wash-out water main ll; locomotive indicated at B, is connected by means-of drop line 12 with the filling water main 13; while the two 1000- motivesindicated at G and D are shown connected by means of drop lines 14 and 15, respectively, to the common blow-01f main16 throughthe medium of my improved conneci In other'words, locomotives C and Dare at the'blowing ofl' stage of theoperation;

locomotiveA is at the" wash-out stage of the with heated fresh water. The system as illustrated in the drawing involves a separating tank 18, generally known as: the blow-0T1" tank, to which the blow-0H main 16' is connected. s

'In this tank the blown off water and ste'amseparate; the water being allowed to escape to the sewer by means of the stand-pipeor sewer vent 20 which has asewer connection at bottom; drain to the sewer vent being possible through the water sealing pipe 21*;9

or direct through 'valve 21. r V V The steam from separatingtank 18 passes up through pipe 22 into a heater 23' which is also provided with'a make-up or fresh water line 24. v

tion 29 with the sewer vent20; and the 'wash-.

out water may be cooled or tempered with fresh cold water admitted by line'2 i upon opening valve 249. I r

As the inner filling water tank becomes tull,1it will overflow into outer tank 28 and provide. a supply oi waterfor washing out the locomotive boilers; the wash-out main 11 being connected with the bottom of'the wash-out tank by means of pipe130; while the fill tank 27 is connected at its bottom by means of pipe81 with the'fill main 18'; the

wash water main 11 and the fill water main 13 being provided with the usual pumps as indicated at 32 andi33, for withdrawing the water from tanks 28 and 27, respectively, and

forcing it into the locomotive boilers. V p All of the elements heretofore referredto, with the exception of the connections indicated at 17 are .ofusua'l construction, arrangement andoperation and further illustration and detailed description of such elements need therefore not be entered into.

. As heretofore constructed, the blow-oft drop lines'li and 15 were. connected to the main blow-oii line by the usual T-coupling 89 shown in Figure 3, so that the water and steam would pass up through'the drop-lines and into the blow-otl main 16 at: approximately right angles This not only resulted in jquick wear of the blow-oil main 16, but also produced a back pressure in a drop line at a time when a number of locomotives were being blown downat the same time.

For example, with the connections as here-. tofore constructed'and employed, if locomotive indicated at C was being blown down from a pressure of eighty pounds while the locomotive indicated at D was tobe blown :down atthe same time while at a pressure of forty pounds, the blowing down otloco- "motive D could not'be accomplished until locomotive C had been reduced to the pressure of locomotive D. Inother words, when a locomotive with a high pressure was connected to the blow-ofi line the blowing down [of other locomotives connected up and of less pressure was delayed until the pressures were equal, thus incurring considerable loss of time; also repairs to, the blow-oil main are necessary very frequently because of the "wearing away of theline the drop line connections by'the water and steam under pressure.

The specific V believed to be the best embodimentjwhich f With my improved drop line connection with the'main blow-off line, as shown at 17 these, difficulties and objections have been overcome. My improved connection as exemplified in the drawing consists in provid-' ing the blow-oft drop-lines witha pipe ex-f tension 3% beyond the check-valves 35 and usual gate valves"36. The pipe extension 84 isarranged substantially parallel with the main blow-ofi line 16 and provided with a gradual .ogee curve at 37 toward and intethe main line 16. The main line 16 is provided with asuitable opening to'receive the curved section 37 of the pipe extension 34, arranged so as to permit the inner 'or free end'of the curved section 37 to. extend in the direction of'wa'ter and steam flowthrough main line 16as shown 38 in Figure 2. Thecurved sect'ion N preferably of such'construction that the inner free end 38 extends a slight distance 1 lengthwise within the mainline as shown. The section 37 is then securely welded to the main line 16.

The end 38' of the pipe extension or connection serves as a'velocity nozzle providing velocity energy which producesan increased flow in the blow-ofi ma n or line 16.

In actual practice my improved'connec-i.

tion has the effect, with locomotives C and D of unequal pressures, of reducing the time of blowing down the locomotive D of assumed lower pressure as in the example heretofore given; V Y 7 .1

1 prefer to make a welded connection between the main blow-oil line 16 and'the curved section 37, butother suitablewater and steam'tight connections may be made if possible; and it will be understood that any number of drop-lines may be connected into :the main lZJl'OW-QIT line 16in keeping with requirements. 7 i I disclosure of the invention 1s has been described in terms employed merely as terms of descriptionand not as terms.

of limitation, as structural modifications may "be made without, however, departing from the spirit of my invention. I

What I claim is:

1. A boilerwashing blow-ofi connection comprising, in combination with a water and steam receiving main-line, and a drop line adapted to be connected to the boiler to be blown down, a connection between said main Y line and said drop line having a portion .dis- "posed substantially in alignment with the discharge end of the drop line and parallel with the main line 'anda second oil-set, portion arranged substantially parallel with the '125 first portion andIdisposed within'the-main line substantially parallel therewith: in the direction of flow through said mainline.

2. A boilerwashing blow-oil connection comprising, in combination with a mainline for receiving water and, steam under pressure and a drop. line between sald main line and the boiler to be blown ofi, a connection intermediate of the two lines having one portion in substantial alignment with the discharge end of the drop line, a gradual curved portion sloping toward the main line and extending therein and a discharge portion within the main line disposed length- Wise therein in the direction of flow through I said main line, the juncture between the curved portion and the main line being hermetically sealed,

3. A boiler washing blow-off connection comprising 1n comblnatlon With a mam line for receiving water and steam under pressure and a line between said main line and the boiler to be blown off, a conduit between the two lines involving a straight portion having a curved connection with the discharge and means for controlling the flow from the second mentioned line into said connection.

BARTON P. PHELPS. 

